The AST Group has successfully implemented the SAP HR & Payroll application on an ASP basis for Columbus Stainless.
Columbus Stainless is a world-class producer of flat stainless steel products at Middelburg in the Mpumalanga Province.
The scope of the contract involves the full implementation, hosting and maintenance of the application on AST`s infrastructure and allows Columbus to utilise the full functionality to support their business processes. The application will be hosted and maintained from Pretoria and accessed via AST`s network infrastructure.
"The SAP HR & Payroll application will enable Columbus Stainless to increase the efficiency of its Human Resource functions, which results in cost reductions," says Jo Mabhena, HR Manager for Columbus Stainless.
Employees have welcomed the revised payslip format, which includes additional information such as running tax totals. The SAP Payroll implementation project has been completed in only 6 weeks - a first for the industry. The additional HR modules for recruitment, training administration, organisation and career management all went live in May 2002, completing the total project in just 4 months.
"The ASP model allows for pre-configured application templates, based on best practises, shared IT infrastructure ownership and usage-based software licensing. This pricing model allows Columbus great flexibility and scalability in an all-in-one service charge," explains Dawie Verryne, Executive of AST Business Services.
"ASP is the first step towards full business process outsourcing - exploiting even more economies of scale by combining the people and process management layers to the all-in-one service," adds Verryne.
AST Business Services is also in the process of implementing an employee self-service solution that will integrate with SAP. This functionality will eliminate the administrative burden and provide line managers with easy access to HR information and the ability to process HR transactions from the corporate intranet.
"Companies prefer solutions based on proven practices. They want minimal additional configuration, so that their application delivers in a way that meets their business needs in a quick and cost-effective manner," says Pieter Boshoff, MD of AST ERP Solutions, AST`s business unit responsible for the configuration and maintenance of the SAP application and a SAP-certified SAP Application Service Provider (ASP) partner for HR and Payroll.
"The Columbus SAP implementation has achieved an excellent balance between standardisation and customisation," adds Boshoff.
AST Enterprise Hosting, with its demonstrable track record of off-site IT infrastructure hosting and management, will provide the hosting facilities for Columbus` SAP HR & Payroll ASP application.
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The AST Group is one of SA`s largest information and communication technology services companies independent of any vendor. It is the fourth largest company overall, by market capitalisation, listed in the technology sector of the JSE Securities Exchange.
The AST Group, operating from more than 60 sites, services large corporate and government clients throughout SA and has expanded to other Southern African states, Australia and the UK.
Employing more than 3 500 ICT professionals, exploiting best-of-breed technology and applying international best practices, the AST Group provides services across the entire plan-build-run-leverage value creating cycle.
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